Violence is a slap in the face for ANC

THERE is a sense of déjà vu about the mayhem that unfolded during the branch general meeting of the ANC in Lephalale in Limpopo at the weekend.

Kemotho Daniel Nkanyane appeared before the Phalala Magistrate’s Court on Monday following a brutal altercation at the meeting.

Two people were shot dead and 16 others were wounded during the altercation.

However, this was not the first time such matters have been reported after branch general meetings. It is at these crucial meetings where branch leaders are chosen.

The leaders generally become candidates for ward councillors and to be part of regional structures.

Apart from disagreements about the candidates, nominees allegedly manipulate the attendance lists to ensure that only members guaranteed to vote for them are at the meeting.

In the build-up to the local government elections, violence has erupted in several branches of the ANC in Tshwane.

Last year in Mpumalanga, two people were killed during a branch general meeting. Shootings and stabbings are usually a norm where violence breaks out, while chairs have also been used as weapons.

Following the weekend incident in Limpopo, President Cyril Ramaphosa said all in his governing party should hang their heads in shame and called for “the new cancer to be exorcised”.

The violence is a slap in the face for the party that is working hard to root out bad apples in its midst.

In addition to criminal charges, success in these matters will always depend on the severity of the action the party takes against the culprits.

Failure to root out the “cancer” may easily see it escalate to the national structures, where those not supporting certain candidates are prevented from attending elective meetings.